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As the Friedkin Group look to make their mark at Everton, they reportedly want to beat Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Manchester United to sign an in-demand gem for Sean Dyche in 2025.

Everton transfer news

2025 is set to be a big year for the Toffees, moving into the new Brarmley-Moore Dock stadium and welcoming new owners to finally put an end to their long wait for change at the club. What would of course be a major boost amid such change is if they managed to push on from relegation concerns in the current campaign.

Everton now battling Chelsea to sign "great" Calvert-Lewin replacement

He’s a man in-demand…

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 17, 2024

As things stand, current form suggests that they’re certainly capable, having avoided defeat in their last three Premier League games, but the biggest game of that run awaits against fellow strugglers Ipswich Town. In a crucial six-pointer in the fight to survive, Dyche’s side must extend their current unbeaten run to four games and, in doing so, pick up just their second victory of the season.

What’s more, whilst that run continues, a move to Merseyside remains an attractive prospect for potential transfer targets as Dan Friedkin potentially splashes the cash to make quite the statement upon his arrival.

According to Ben Jacobs for GiveMeSport, Friedkin now wants to beat Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe in the race to sign Kaua Elias from Fluminense in 2025. The Brazilian side reportedly value their young striker at €30m (£25m) plus add ons in what is a hefty fee for an 18-year-old.

Nonetheless, with Manchester United and Fulham among those battling for Elias’ signature, Everton will have to act with plenty of intent if they are to jump ahead of their Premier League rivals to sign a future start. With Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s current contract coming to an end next summer, those at Goodison Park would certainly be wise to sign a fresh face who can lead the line for years to come.

"Fantastic" Elias is one for the future

For so long, Everton found themselves welcoming an endless amount of players destined to become transfer flops. If rumours surrounding Elias are anything to go by, however, that could be set to change when Friedkin arrives. The Brazilian is one for the future and someone who is unlikely to make an instant impact on Dyche’s side, but once ready, the Toffees could have a star in the making.

Already making his mark on senior football, Elias has scored five goals and assisted one other in Fluminense’s current campaign to earn the praise of South American football expert Nathan Joyes, who dubbed the forward “fantastic”.

To beat Ratcliffe and Manchester United so soon after his arrival would send some statement for Friedkin, who will be desperate to transform Everton back into the club they once were rather than the relegation contenders they’ve become in recent years.

Desperately looking to turn their form around following a disastrous start to their Premier League campaign, Crystal Palace could be boosted by the return of a player who’s been sidelined for the last four games.

Crystal Palace injury news

Although injuries to the likes of Trevoh Chalobah and Adam Wharton have far from helped their cause, plenty of other factors have been at play in Palace’s incredibly disappointing start to the season. Currently sat in the Premier League’s bottom three, the Eagles have been a shadow of the side that defeated Liverpool at Anfield during the early months of Oliver Glasner’s tenure.

Related "Special" 4-2-3-1 manager keen on replacing Glasner at Crystal Palace

He has beaten the Eagles 10 times in his managerial career.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Oct 18, 2024

The Eagles recently came full circle on that front just before the international break, when the Reds reversed their fortunes to pick up a narrow 1-0 victory and compound Palace’s misery just seven games into the season.

Truth be told, the international break came at the perfect time for Glasner and his side, who will likely be boosted by one returning player, albeit not until after their return to Premier League action on Monday night.

As reported by LondonWorld, Cheick Doucoure is set to return to Crystal Palace training and will be in line to return after the Nottingham Forest clash – by which time, he will have missed five matches for the Eagles.

In search of their first league win of the season, the return of the defensive midfielder should at least help to solve Glasner’s leaky defence in the coming weeks.

Glasner revealed the news, saying via the official Crystal Palace website: “No new injuries, so that’s a positive thing. They all came back from their national teams in good shape.

“But also no new injured players are coming back, so we have the same squad [as against Liverpool]. It looks like Cheick Doucouré will train with us after the Nottingham [Forest] game – at least parts of the training sessions – so he’s maybe the guy who is closest to returning.”

"Quick" Doucoure could spark turnaround

Sealing victory against Nottingham Forest on Monday and welcoming back Doucoure would have Palace’s week off to the perfect start. The defensive midfielder will be desperate to finally put his injury struggles behind him, having also missed the majority of the last campaign before struggling so far this season.

Palace will certainly share that sentiment given how fragile they’ve looked at the heart of their midfield without their £70,000-a-week star, who U23 scout Antonio Mango previously dubbed “quick” and “strong”.

Next to Wharton, Doucoure may even help to take those at Selhurst Park back to the type of form they initially showed under Glasner. As things stand, of course, the Eagles are heading down a dangerous and unexpected path towards Premier League relegation. Despite having plenty of time to turn things around, Palace must get back to winning ways as soon as possible.

Wolves suffered their third defeat in four Premier League games on Sunday, but one player was given special recognition for his performance in the game against Newcastle United.

It has been a frustrating start to the new campaign for Gary O’Neil’s side, as they are yet to win a game, picking up just one point from a possible 12.

Wolves keen on signing "terrific" in-demand gem ahead of Arsenal for O'Neil

He’s one for the future.

By
Tom Cunningham

Sep 14, 2024

Wolves keen on Championship midfielder

It was a very mixed summer for Wolves and O’Neil, as the Premier League side lost Max Kilman and Pedro Neto, two important players, but they finished the transfer window by adding Andre and Carlos Forbs to their squad.

Those additions are yet to have the impact the club had wished for, but given time, they could turn out to be shrewd additions. The poor start to the season will be putting pressure on O’Neil and the board, and they may already be putting plans in place for January as they eye potentially more arrivals to strengthen the team.

According to a recent report, Wolves are keen on signing Souleymane Sidibe from Stoke City. If the Midlands side were able to get a deal over the line, they could beat the likes of rivals Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, as well as Manchester City and Arsenal, to the signing.

At 17, Sidibe is already part of the Potters’ midfield, and he played an important role in the first game of the season, as he provided the assist in their 1-0 win over Plymouth Argyle. His performances don’t seem to have gone unnoticed, as Wolves are now keen on signing the youngster in what you would presume to be in January. Wolves may enter January in a relegation battle given how their season has started, and it didn’t get much easier on Sunday, but one player earned special praise despite suffering a 2-1 loss.

Paul Merson left stunned at Wolves star and makes Messi comparison

As stated, Wolves suffered a 2-1 defeat on Sunday to Newcastle United in a game that saw the Midlands side take the lead through Mario Lemina but were overcome by late goals from Fabian Schar and Harvey Barnes.

Wolves’ only goal of the game was a very fine move by the home side, as Lemina finished off what was a well-worked goal that involved fellow midfielder Joao Gomes producing an excellent dummy.

Gomes won the ball in the midfield; he then allowed Matheus Cunha to carry the ball before playing out wide; the ball was then delivered into the path of Lemina, with Gomes producing a moment of magic in the box with the ball before Lemina slotted it home.

Joao Gomes’ Wolves stats
Apps	53
Goals	3
Assists	1

That move and in particular the piece of skill from Gomes left Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson amazed, and he was full of praise for the player. Merson labelled the moment as “unbelievable” and even went on to compare Gomes to the great Lionel Messi.

Merson said, relayed by Molineux News: “That is unbelievable.

“If Messi did that, we’d be going mad. Everything about it is phenomenal.”

Celtic made their way through to the semi-finals of the League Cup with a 5-2 win over Falkirk at Parkhead in the quarter-finals of the competition last Sunday.

Brendan Rodgers watched his side go 1-0 and 2-1 down in the first half before his substitutions helped the team to bounce back and secure the win with four second-half goals.

The Hoops are now back in action in the Scottish Premiership as they prepare to travel away from Parkhead to face St Johnstone this evening.

Celtic have won all five of their matches in the division so far this season, without conceding a single goal, and will be looking to keep up their 100% record in the evening kick-off later.

Rodgers made a number of changes to his side for the clash with Championship outfit Falkirk last weekend, which provided some of the fringe players with an opportunity to stake their claim for a place in the starting XI moving forward.

One player who may have done enough to earn himself a start in the league this weekend is centre-forward Adam Idah, after his impressive showing last time out.

Why Adam Idah should start

Celtic invested a lot of money in the Ireland international during the summer transfer window, as they agreed a deal to sign him on a permanent deal from Norwich.

Sky Sports reported that the Hoops have agreed to pay an initial fee of £8.5m for the 23-year-old striker, which could rise to £9.5m including add-ons.

This shows that the club have a lot of faith in the young forward and he should be rewarded with opportunities to shine when his performances deserve it, which is why Idah should start against St Johnstone today.

The Irish giant scored two goals in the 5-2 win over Falkirk and his two strikes turned the game around from 2-1 to the away side to 3-2 to Celtic, which illustrates how important his goals were.

That showing from the centre-forward came after he scored his first Champions League goal against Slovan in his previous appearance, with his only shot off the bench.

This means that Idah has now scored three goals in all competitions this season, with all three coming in the last two outings, whilst Kyogo Furuhashi has struggled in front of goal.

Appearances

5

1

Goals

1

1

Big chances missed

7

2

Big chances created

0

0

Assists

1

0

As you can see in the table above, the Japan international has missed a staggering nine ‘big chances’ and only scored two goals for the Hoops this season.

This suggests that Idah, who has already outscored Kyogo this term, could provide a more clinical presence in the final third for Rodgers this evening.

The Northern Irish head coach must make a change to the attacking options around the Irishman, however, as James Forrest should be ruthlessly ditched from the starting XI.

Why James Forrest should be dropped

The Celtic veteran was handed an opportunity to start against Falkirk but did not do enough, unlike Idah, to suggest to the manager that he should keep his place.

Football Scotland awarded him a player rating of 5/10 for his performance against the second tier side and cited his lack of impact on the match as a reason for his low score.

The 33-year-old winger was not directly involved in any of the club’s five goals and was substituted with the team 2-1 down after 61 minutes.

Forrest also had no involvement in the one goal that Celtic did score whilst he was on the pitch, as Alex Valle set-up Paulo Bernardo, before he watched on as his teammates secured progression through to the semi-finals.

The experienced forward had provided four assists in his previous six appearances for the club in all competitions but could not add to his tally of assists for the season against Falkirk.

His lack of impact on the right wing and the quality of his replacement is why Rodgers must brutally ditch him from the starting XI in order to unleash Nicolas Kuhn from the start.

Why Nicolas Kuhn should start

Firstly, the German forward produced an extraordinary performance off the bench, replacing Forrest in the second half, against Falkirk to win the match for Celtic.

Kuhn assisted both of Idah’s goals to put the Hoops 3-2 up before getting himself on the scoresheet with two goals to ensure that it was a comfortable victory in the end.

As you can see in the clip above, the former Rapid Vienna forward was the first to react to a loose ball on the edge of the box and crashed a volley into the bottom corner for his second and Celtic’s fifth goal.

The £3m January signing, who was hailed as “magical” by Rodgers in pre-season, has enjoyed a phenomenal start to the 2024/25 campaign.

Kuhn has racked up five goals and six assists in eight appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, which includes three goals and three assists in two League Cup outings.

Appearances

5

Starts

4

Goals

2

Assists

2

Big chances created

3

Key passes per game

2.2

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old star has also been on fire in the Premiership for Celtic, with his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals shining through.

The forward has created 11 chances and three ‘big chances’ in just four league starts, to be rewarded with two assists, and this shows that he excels at carving open opposition defences to create opportunities for his teammates.

This is why Kuhn is the perfect player to bring back into the XI to provide Idah with the service he needs to continue his recent run of goals for the Hoops.

The left-footed wizard can create the ‘big chances’ for the centre-forward to find the back of the net and that is why Forrest should be ditched from the team to allow the winger to return to the side.

Rodgers may have a bigger talent than Vata in prolific 12-goal Celtic teen

The Hoops youngster has been on fire so far this season for the B team.

2 ByDan Emery Sep 25, 2024

The 18-year-old has forced his way into the Gunners fold this season and is making the most of the opportunities afforded to him

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For the fourth season running, Arsenal's men's team will dedicate their FA Cup third round fixture to the No More Red campaign, in partnership with kit supplier adidas. These occasions are marked by the Gunners donning a special all-white strip, doing away with their traditional red home colours.

Arsenal, despite their fame and following on a global scale, have a long-standing tradition of making a difference to the local community in their north London home, proudly supporting the area for 40 years. No More Red, one of their more modern initiatives, revolves around the prevention of knife crime and youth violence.

Ahead of Sunday's run-out of a growingly iconic all-white kit at home to Manchester United, GOAL sat down with breakout star Myles Lewis-Skelly to talk No More Red, his closer affiliation to the the programme, life in the Gunners first-team and more.

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Abdi Alasow, Arsenal, adidasLocal roots

As part of No More Red, Arsenal have invested in three new safe spaces for youngsters to play football, refurbishing pitches at Harvist Estate, Mayville Estate and King Square in Islington, while Peckwater Estate in Camden is next in line and will open later in 2025. Over 500 people used these pitches last year alone.

Lewis-Skelly, pictured below with local hero and youth violence campaigner Zakaria Hassan, is an Islington native born just a stone's throw away from Arsenal's Emirates Stadium base in Holloway. He felt it was important to him to step up and put his face to such a campaign built around this area.

"This is my community," Lewis-Skelly said. "I'm from north London and so this means a lot growing up here. Just being able to play in a safe place is important.

"It feels like there's a lot of Arsenal supporters here coming together, to be able to celebrate this campaign for hopefully many more years to come. For everyone to be part of it, to come together for a safe place to play football."

AdvertisementRole models

No More Red also aims to turn the community spotlight onto role models, those who go the extra mile to make their world, in north London and beyond, a better place.

Though he only turned 18 in September, Lewis-Skelly clearly has a mature head on his young shoulders, citing the desire to be a role model himself as part of the rationale behind his involvement in No More Red.

"100%," he replied when asked if he wants to receive that sort of admiration and aspiration too. "It's important to have role models, people you look up to who have had similar journeys, but also people in general having a decency to show empathy and understanding. You have to be a role model to show that quality so I feel understanding and empathy is important."

Lewis-Skelly's mother, Marcia, is renowned for her own work within the game. In the summer of 2024, she founded No1Fan.club – an organisation to help parents of young and aspiring footballers through the complex world of sport through various helpful schemes.

It's why it was no surprise that Lewis-Skelly immediately labelled her as his top role model when asked by GOAL. "My mother, someone I look up to, who's shown nurturing and understanding," he answered, calling back to two of those core characteristics he values highly.

Getty ImagesHomegrown heroes

Arsenal have always prided themselves on bringing through academy talent and developing players from the English capital. Lewis-Skelly is not the only star to have featured under Mikel Arteta during this fine period of Arsenal's recent history.

Ethan Nwaneri, the youngest player in Premier League history and someone Lewis-Skelly has rubbed shoulders with at youth level for years, is also making waves this season, most recently scoring in last Saturday's 1-1 draw at Brighton. Then, of course, you have the shining example of Bukayo Saka, the darling prince of Arsenal on his way to immortality.

"It's felt really good seeing the likes of Bukayo that have helped me come through, it's been quite a smooth transition," Lewis-Skelly said. "The importance of people like that who have come before me have helped me a lot. That's really helped me out. They're definitely role models."

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This new Arsenal have a clear identity again, and it still relies heavily on the contributions of homegrown players. Saka, a No More Red ambassador in previous seasons and the crown jewel of the academy, is but one example for Lewis-Skelly to follow.

"I'd definitely say the senior players have helped me a lot," he added. "Every day learning from them, the habits that they pick up, inspiring me. I can learn so much from them and they're willing to share, which is also really good."

Whatever has been shared with Lewis-Skelly has clearly been taken on board, too. He's made 13 senior appearances already this season, including four as the starting left-back in the last month alone.

Anwar Ali, the Quetta Gladiators fast bowler, has tested positive for Covid-19, and will now miss the flight bound for Abu Dhabi to take part in the remainder of the PSL tomorrow – two chartered flights are leaving from Pakistan, one from Karachi and the other from Lahore.Ali had tested negative before checking into the hotel in Karachi, but his second test, conducted at the hotel on Monday, returned a positive result on Tuesday. He has been shifted to the separate floor within the hotel where he will isolate for a minimum of ten days. He will be released from the hotel after returning two negative tests.Related

• Naseem Shah invited to rejoin PSL bubble despite Covid-19 protocol violation

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The contingents of all six franchise are scheduled to fly out to Abu Dhabi tomorrow, and all individuals are required to quarantine in their hotel rooms for seven days after that before being allowed to enter the bio-secure environment – if they return negative tests. The PCB has created three separate bubbles in Abu Dhabi: one for players, support staff, match officials, hotel staff and PCB officials; the second, in a different hotel, for the TV production crew and key event management personnel; and the third is an accommodation dedicated to the groundstaff.Players and support staff from Sri Lanka have reached Pakistan and will fly out to Abu Dhabi along with the Pakistanis – all flights will reach on May 26 – because the UAE has in place travel restrictions for several countries, including Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Chartered flights, however, are permitted.The PCB has also earned exemptions for Indian and South African nationals, who are involved with the PSL in different capacities – mainly broadcast and production. Those taking chartered flights from those two countries have to quarantine for ten days in a separate hotel.Anwar’s loss will hurt the Gladiators, who have already lost the services of fast bowler Naseem Shah. Shah was released by the team yesterday following a breach of Covid-19 regulations as he arrived at the hotel in Lahore armed with a negative Covid-19 report dated May 18, but from a non-compliant PCR test.

Crystal Palace got off to a rough start, losing their opening game of the Premier League season 2-1 to Brentford. After an Eberechi Eze goal was disallowed to give them a 1-0 lead, Brentford struck in the 29th minute, Bryan Mbeumo scoring the goal to put the Bees ahead.

Palace only created one big chance, compared to Brentford's three, with those attacking woes having also been on show last time out, having failed to fire during the 2-0 defeat at home to West Ham United.

Those early season struggles have highlighted the Eagles' need for creativity after the loss of Michael Olise this summer, who joined Bayern Munich.

Olise made 19 appearances for Palace in all competitions last season, scoring ten goals and providing six assists in his 1,278 minutes played, after coming back from multiple hamstring injuries that kept Olise out for a total of 195 days.

Now, however, the Eagles could be able to finally fill the Frenchman's shoes

Crystal Palace transfer news

According to reports from The Standard earlier this week, Palace are among the Premier League clubs interested in Chelsea star, Raheem Sterling. However, his £300k-per-week wages could make it difficult.

It was made clear to Sterling last week that he is "out of the project" according to Fabrizio Romano, after Enzo Maresca said he had told Sterling "he will have no minutes here".

Sterling made 43 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea last season, scoring ten goals, and providing eight assists in 2,771 minutes played.

Sterling vs Olise comparison

Pep Guardiola once described Sterling as "decisive" to what Manchester City have done in recent years, the Englishman – who was also dubbed a "leader" at Chelsea by Conor Gallagher – having scored 131 goals for the Cityzens and provided 73 assists in his 339 games for the club.

Now that Palace has the task on their hands to replace the output of Olise, Sterling's Premier League experience and output could be exactly what they need, and could be the perfect platform for Sterling to re-discover his best form.

Sterling vs Olise comparison

Stats (per 90 mins)

Sterling

Olise

Goals

0.33

0.70

Assists

0.26

0.42

xG

0.30

0.39

xAG

0.20

0.41

Progressive Carries

5.45

4.79

Progressive Passes

3.55

5.49

Key Passes

1.36

2.54

Successful Take-Ons

2.05

2.82

Shots Total

2.29

3.94

Shots on Target

0.88

1.41

Shot-Creating Actions

3.86

5.77

Stats taken from FBref

Now it's worth pointing out straight away, Sterling only betters Olise in one of these metrics, and that is progressive carries per 90, whilst Olise is better in every other metric. However, we know Sterling hasn't quite found his best levels at Chelsea and could improve these numbers vastly in the correct environment.

Despite not being at his best, Sterling still offers good goal and assist numbers, creates 3.86 shot-creating actions for himself or others per 90, and still looks to beat his man 1v1, averaging 2.05 successful take-ons per 90, attempting 6.00 take-ons per 90.

The 27-year-old does average fewer shots per 90, and shots on target per 90 than Olise, but in four of the last seven seasons, Sterling managed a goals/shot ratio of 0.20+, and if he could recapture this efficiency in front of goal, that would certainly help the Eagles find the net more often.

Sterling also brings the versatility to play off both flanks, making 22 appearances from the left last season, and 11 appearances from the right wing, as well as playing six games through the middle, as either an attacking midfielder or centre forward.

This direct nature in attack could help Palace to create more "big chances", and having an experienced Premier League goalscorer on their books wouldn't hurt, especially if he can find his top form.

There'd certainly be worse ways to replace Olise in Oliver Glasner's attacking ranks…

Related Concrete option: Crystal Palace working on deal to help replace Olise

Palace continue to make recruitments in order to replace Olise attacking output

Posts ByConnor Holden Aug 22, 2024

As they continue to solve their striker problem, West Ham United still reportedly have a chance to sign an alternative to Jhon Duran, who they've seen bids rejected for this summer.

West Ham transfer news

With Michail Antonio now 34 years old and showing signs of slowing down last season, West Ham's pursuit of a striker has been no surprise this summer. As things stand, new boss Julen Lopetegui has just Jarrod Bowen to call on when it comes to reliable options to lead the line – and the England international is naturally a winger. One injury to the former Hull City star could leave West Ham with a short supply of goals to deal with.

Lopetegui's own Payet: West Ham lead race for £35m "wizard"

This talented forward must be signed alongside Jhon Duran.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 27, 2024

As the transfer window has ticked by, the name consistently mentioned has been Duran's. But after Aston Villa rejected West Ham's reported bid of £32m plus Lewis Orford, it remains to be seen whether the forward will complete a move to the London Stadium in the next month, and that could see them move onto an alternative option.

According to Sky Sport's Patrick Berger, West Ham are still in with a chance of signing Artem Dovbyk from Girona this summer after the forward rejected a move to La Liga giants Atletico Madrid. That said, it is AS Roma who are now leading the race for the Ukraine international's signature, though the Hammers are named as having an outside chance in a deal worth a reported €40m (£34m).

After winning La Liga's Golden Boot last season, it could even be argued that West Ham would be signing a better player in Dovbyk than Aston Villa forward Duran ahead of the forthcoming campaign.

"Powerful" Dovbyk is better than Duran

At 20 years old, Duran represents quite the risk for West Ham, and if they want to solve their striker problem once and for all, it is Dovbyk they should be turning to this summer. For a similar price, the east Londoners would be getting a player in the prime of his career fresh from an outstanding goalscoring campaign capped by a Golden Boot.

Goals

24

5

Assists

8

0

Minutes

2,587

475

Expected Goals

24.2

2

Whilst Duran's expected goals tally highlights how clinical he was when he was offered a chance at Villa Park last season, his lack of experience represents the risk that West Ham would be taking. Dovbyk, meanwhile, was the main man at Girona last time out, maintaining a clinical rate himself, but with a greater sample size.

Described as "powerful" by analyst Ben Mattinson, the 27-year-old now has quite the decision to make after rejecting the chance to join a European giant in Atletico Madrid this summer.

Jonathan Batty replaces Lydia Greenway as Oval Invincibles coach in women’s Hundred

Matt Roller23-Feb-2021

Andy Flower has replaced Stephen Fleming as Trent Rockets coach•Getty Images

Stephen Fleming has stepped back from his role as Trent Rockets’ coach in the Hundred, with Andy Flower confirmed as his replacement.Fleming, the long-term head coach of IPL side Chennai Super Kings, took part in the competition’s inaugural draft in October 2019, but opted against travelling to the UK this summer. It is understood that Fleming had intended to bring his family over, but was unclear whether he would be able to do so with the country still in lockdown and decided to resign from the job.”I’m really disappointed that I won’t be coach of the side this summer but ultimately family has to come first,” Fleming said. “The current global crisis has made it very difficult to travel and the extra time needed for quarantines has made it hard to get the right work/home balance.  Andy is a world-class coach with experience all over the world and I’m sure the Trent Rockets men’s team will have a fantastic first season of the Hundred with him behind them.”Related

The Hundred to launch with women's fixture on July 21

The Hundred – men's draft announcements

The Hundred – full 2021 squad lists

Flower: Looking after the person more important than developing the player

Flower, his replacement, has a growing reputation as a franchise coach. He is currently with Multan Sultans in the PSL after leading them to the top of the group stages in his first season. He has also coached Maratha Arabians to an Abu Dhabi T10 title, finished as a runner-up with St Lucia Zouks in the CPL and Delhi Bulls in the Abu Dhabi T10, and worked as Kings XI Punjab’s assistant coach in last year’s IPL.Flower was involved in the Rockets’ recruitment in Monday’s draft, which saw them sign Timm van der Gugten and Samit Patel to complete their squad. However, it is understood that some squad members were unaware of the change of coach until Tuesday.”Stephen will be a tough act to follow, but the guys put together a really strong squad in the original draft with a mix of international and local talent,” Flower said. “We have built on it in this draft with van der Gugten and Patel joining.”Flower’s appointment will reignite the debate over the absence of any British head coaches in the men’s Hundred, which came in for criticism when jobs were initially offered in 2019. All eight head coaches in the men’s competition are from overseas, though the majority of support staff are British.Jonathan Batty will replace Lydia Greenway as Oval Invincibles head coach•Getty Images

There has also been a change of head coach in the women’s competition, with Lydia Greenway stepping down from her role at Oval Invincibles. She will be replaced by Jonathan Batty, the former Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire and Surrey wicketkeeper, who was in interim charge of South East Stars in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy last summer.It is understood that Greenway is still likely to be involved in the competition as a commentator, having previously worked for both Sky Sports and the BBC.

West Ham United are demonstrating some convincing ambition in the transfer market this summer, with Julen Lopetegui whipping his outfit into life after succeeding David Moyes at the start of the summer.

A host of exciting signings have been made but there is plenty more to do in east London, with the role of starring talisman still advertised despite the likes of Michail Antonio and Danny Ings residing in the ranks.

Max Kilman (£40m)

Flynn Downes (£17m)

Luis Guilherme (£25m)

Said Benrahma (£13m)

Wes Foderingham (free)

Thilo Kehrer (£9.5m)

Nathan Trott (£1m)

Ben Johnson (free)

Divin Mubama (free)

Angelo Ogbonna (free)

Lopetegui is polishing his team but now is the time for a new focal frontman, and recent reports suggest that the perfect addition is being lined up.

West Ham targetting striker

According to Tuttosport, West Ham are looking to inject some mettle upfront through the signing of Juventus' Arkadiusz Milik, with the 30-year-old centre-forward on the market this summer.

Efforts are being made to sign Leeds United's attacking linchpin Crysencio Summerville to strengthen the flank, meaning that moving to sign Milik could prove to be an astute option.

Juventus are hoping to collect around €7m (£6m) for the Poland international's sale, so the Irons faithful could yet see two more exciting attacking additions to bolster Lopetegui's accord.

However, with Brentford and Everton also sniffing around, United technical director Tim Steidten might want to pull the trigger on this one with haste, with the trio of Premier League clubs having all lodged enquiries regarding a deal for the experienced number nine.

What Arkadiusz Milik would bring to West Ham

Milik has led a storied, wandering career, featuring across Europe and earning 73 international caps for Poland, scoring 17 times.

He has been firmly placed in a peripheral role with the Old Lady of late, however, earning just nine starts across the 2023/24 campaign. Of course, the Pole did score eight times, speaking of his inborn goalscoring instinct.

And so what? He's not just a goalscorer. As per FBref, the 6 foot 1 striker ranked among the top 12% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues last season for shots taken, the top 8% for pass completion, the top 13% for shot-creating actions and the top 7% for interceptions per 90.

Such technical soundness has led him to be linked with some of the continent's most creative strikers, with Arsenal's Kai Havertz even considered to be of a similar style by FBref's statistic-crunching algorithm.

Havertz, who Arsenal signed from Chelsea in a deal worth about £65m last summer, grew in strength throughout the 2023/24 campaign, producing some terrific numbers toward the business end after a slow – but still spirited – start, ultimately scoring 14 goals in all competitions.

So unique in his approach to the forward game, Havertz is technically gifted and silky-smooth in his movements, threading the team together. Indeed, he ranked among the top 15% of forwards in the Premier League last year for pass completion, shot-creating actions and aerial duels won, the top 9% for passes attempted and the top 11% for progressive passes per 90.

His proclivity for popping up in big, all-important moments was a thing to behold, and having averaged 5.3 successful duels per game too, he has the combative sheen necessary to serve his multi-functioning attacking role well. Milik, to a different degree, could operate as such at the Hammers spearhead.

Carlo Ancelotti once hailed Milik's "sensational" striking ability, and indeed he has demonstrated time and time again throughout his career his aptitude as his team's frontal focal point.

How Milik could thrive alongside Summerville

Imposing, intelligent and crafty, the £73k-per-week ace could prove to be the aforementioned Summerville's dream partner up front, bouncing off the Dutchman's electrifying pace and fear-inducing dribbling skills to quite the resounding effect.

Playing that Havertz-like position, he would help the Leeds man's shooting ability to flourish, providing selfless, ball-playing support to maximise the pace and power of his flanker.

Furthermore, think of Jarrod Bowen. The Three Lions star is West Ham's main man from an attacking standpoint, the fulcrum of Moyes' illustrious tenure. He tallied 20 goals from 44 appearances last season, so clinical, so effective as he alternated between centre-forward and right-wing.

1.

Jarrod Bowen

44

20

2.

Mohammed Kudus

45

14

3.

Tomas Soucek

52

10

4.

Lucas Paqueta

43

8

5.

Michail Antonio

32

7

5.

James Ward-Prowse

51

7

Bowen was a machine in front of goal last year; Brentford boss Thomas Frank even hailed him as "unplayable"; West Ham must now complete two deals to place a player of similar quality on the alternate wing in Summerville, and, centrally, weave it all together with the deployment of Milik.

Summerville, after all, bagged 19 goals and nine assists in the Championship last season, crowned the division's MVP following his ground-shattering individual success.

It would be criminal for the dynamo to be plying his trade below Premier League level next season, and West Ham must now ensure that they complete two impactful signings to ensure that Lopetegui's newly formed philosophy goes off without a hitch.

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